In a communication system in which various forms of data and/or information need to be supplied to a plurality of mobile platforms, in real time, it is important that the system supplying such information content is utilized in a manner to most efficiently transmit the information to each one of the mobile platforms. More specifically, it is important that information content being supplied over different transponder channels, wherein each transponder channel is optimized for a specific transport (i.e., either broadcast, multicast or unicast), is supplied by the base station using the transponder channel such that the spectrum associated with each transponder channel is utilized most efficiently. By controlling and monitoring the types of transmission schemes used to transmit information content to each and every mobile platform in communication with the base station, this would ensure the most efficient utilization of each transponder spectrum. Efficient utilization of each transponder spectrum becomes of paramount importance if the base station is trying to deliver information content to a large number of mobile platforms, such as dozens, hundreds or even thousands of mobile platforms, operating in a given coverage region simultaneously, and where different types of data, information, etc. need to be delivered to each of the mobile platforms currently being serviced, some subset of those platforms currently being serviced, or just one. Under such circumstances, some means and/or method would be highly desirable to employ for monitoring the utilization of each of the buffers or satellite links associated with the base station such that information content being handled by a particular buffer or link having additional capacity can be transmitted to the mobile platform, requiring the specific content, using the transmission method which best ensures that the information is transmitted using the most expeditious or reliable method. For example, the consideration of which system to use to most expeditiously transmit information may involve considering whether to use broadcasting or multicasting over the spectrum allocated for broadcast or multicast. Reliability concerns may dictate that point-to-point or unicast (in networking terms a “reliable transport”, such as TCP) connections be employed over the spectrum allocated for reliable transport.
Such a system described above would allow the efficiency of the system to be increased by transmitting the stored information content in the most reliable manner (for example, point-to-point connection vs. a multicast or broadcast transmission). Such a system would monitor the throughout or buffering of the various satellite transponders allocated to the various delivery methodologies (point-to-point connection vs. a multicast transmission). Such a monitoring, delivery system and/or method would also ensure that each satellite transponder channel is used most efficiently because those links having additional capacity are optimized against the content, data, information, etc. that needs to be delivered in relation to the spectrum available and the various mobile platforms requiring it.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a system and method for optimizing the delivery of information from one or more buffers or links associated with a satellite transponder of a base station supplying the information content to one or more mobile platforms requiring the information. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to monitor operation of the transponder channels in a manner that allows the base station or delivery system to use a transmission means for supplying information content to a mobile platform in a manner which most efficiently utilizes each of the transponders.